SP1NVGE. 22g 



fourteen species of orach ; seven of which are 

 plants. 



Many old herbalists considered spinage to 

 be only a variety of Blite, Blitum, often called 

 Strawberry Blight, and Strawberry Spinage ; 

 but this plant is of a different genus, belong- 

 ing to the Monandria Digynia class. 



Mercury, Mercurialis, is by the country 

 people generally thought to be a wild spin- 

 age, and many people eat it in preference to 

 spinage: it differs, however, in appearance 

 from the latter plant very considerably, as 

 the mercury seems powdered over with a 

 greyish white colour ; it is a genus of the 

 Diozcia E?ineand?'ia class. It grows in neg- 

 lected gardens, and among old rubbish, as 

 also on new-made banks that are free from 

 shrubs ; it appears about the end of May, and 

 may be gathered all the summer. The 

 French call it Bon Henri ; the Germans, 

 Guter Heinrich, Good Henry ; and it is gene- 

 rally known in this country by the name of 

 Good Henry, or Bonus Henricus. In Cam- 

 bridgeshire it is called Good King Harry. It 

 is sometimes called Tot a Bona, and Fat Hen. 

 The country people bruise it, and lay it on 

 green wounds to cleanse them. Galen re- 

 commended it to the ancients in poultices, 



